Our work in strengthening UK-Japan cultural ties has been recognised with a prestigious honour from the Japanese Government to the Senior Curator of our Oriental Museum.
Rachel Barclay, who is also Deputy Head of our Museums, Galleries and Exhibitions, was presented with the Foreign Minister’s Commendation.
The award celebrates Rachel’s achievement in promoting mutual understanding between Japan and the UK through Japanese art.
It also recognises the promotion of friendship between Japan and other countries.
Rachel received her award from Japan’s Ambassador to the UK, Hiroshi Suzuki, at a ceremony held at the Japanese embassy in London.
The award reflects more than a decade of sustained collaboration between Durham and leading Japanese institutions.
This includes our partnership and Memorandum of Understanding with the National Museum of Japanese History (NMJH).
This has supported a series of innovative exhibitions, research projects and publications introducing new audiences in the UK and Japan to Japanese material culture.
Durham University is also the co-chair of the Japan-UK RENKEI research consortium.
“Monogatari: The Art of Storytelling in Japanese Woodblock Prints”, resulted in a joint exhibition catalogue distributed to more than 200 academic institutions across Japan.
A jointly curated exhibition, focussed on the collections of the Squire family who lived in Japan during the Meiji Era before returning to Northeast of England, was seen by more than 30,000 visitors to the NMJH in Sakura.
Our partnership has also provided opportunities for students. “The Emperor’s New Clothes: Transforming 19th Century Japan” exhibition was developed with Durham MA Museum and Artefact Studies students and NMJH curators.
From Ancient Egypt to modern China, our Oriental Museum is devoted entirely to the art and archaeology of the great cultures of Northern Africa and Asia.
Under Rachel’s direction, our Japanese collections have more than doubled in size in recent years and now comprise over 7,000 objects.
Major gifts, including the Hyatt King Ceramics Collection and the newly received Wright Collection, continue to shape future research and exhibitions, with further projects planned through to 2028.
About Rachel Barclay, Senior Curator of our Oriental Museum and Deputy Head of Museums, Galleries and Exhibitions.
Discover more about our Oriental Museum.
Read about our partnership with the National Museum of Japanese History.
Durham University is currently the co-chair of the Japan-UK RENKEI research consortium.
Banner image (l-r): Rachel Barclay, Senior Curator of Durham University's Oriental Museum and Deputy Head of Museums, Galleries and Exhibitions, receives her award from Japan’s Ambassador to the UK, Hiroshi Suzuki.
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